Description:

Walter F. Prince Harry Houdini
Boston, MA, December 13, 1926
W.F. Prince on H. Houdini and the Margery Case: "He had a sort of religious zeal…against fraudulent mediums"
TLS

Three pages (recto only) on Boston Society for Psychic Research letterhead, 8.5" x 11"; Boston; December 13, 1926. Walter Franklin Prince, the founder of the Boston S.P.R writes to Graf Carl von Klinckowstroem about Harry Houdini and the Mina "Margery" Crandon fraud case. As chairman of Scientific American's Psychic Committee, Prince supervised high-profile tests of mediums such as "Margery", collaborating and occasionally contending with figures like Harry Houdini. With flattened mail folds, rust paper clip stains, and punch holes in the left margin. First page is slightly more toned. Incredible content offering a contemporaneous and somewhat critical perspective on Houdini.

Prince's letter is dated just two months after Houdini's death. Writing on December 13, 1926, he asks Klinckowstroem to send prints "which Houdini neglected to forward me" and launches into a long diatribe on Houdini and the Margery case. The letter reads in part:

"I do not think that there is any reason to suppose that Houdini was poisoned by New York mediums. He died from peritonitis following an operation for appendicitis. I suppose that your question about poisoning has reference to his death and not uses in any metaphorical sense. Am I right? I had not heard that any rumor of that kind had arisen. I think with you that Houdini meant to be an honest and fair investigator. I do not think he was a thoroly [sic] fair one. If a case was a fraudulent case, particularly in the physical field, he would almost certainly find it out, but I do not think that his methods were adapted in all cases to isolate and recognize a genuine case of mental description. It perhaps would not be profitable for me to go into this at length, but I know something about his method of investigating mental cases and am quite sure if he pursued it he should have no more results than he. I do not think that Houdini consciously intended to be unfair. He had a sort of religious zeal in pursuing war against fraudulent mediums, and like all enthusiasts went too far and thought everyone was a fraud, and almost inclined to think everyone was a conscious fraud. He, like most showmen, was too much given to exaggeration and too general statements. He was too egotistic, and inclined to take credit all to himself. I do not think that he entirely got over the delusion up to his death that he saved the Scientific American Committee from believing in Margery, whereas that was distinctly not the case."

Prince then expounds on the antagonism that arose between Houdini and Eric Dingwall, who had originally supported Margery as a genuine psychic, and mentions many of the participants involved in the investigation. As Chairman of the committee, he has great insight into the case. His personal feelings about Houdini are particularly interesting as his criticisms of the magician fall outside the norm of how he is remembered today.

The Margery fraud case centered on Boston medium Mina "Margery" Crandon, who was investigated by Scientific American in connection with a cash prize for proof of genuine psychic phenomena they had offered. Harry Houdini, as a member of the committee, played a pivotal role in the investigation to determine the veracity of Crandon's feats. Suspicious of physical manipulation in the dark, Houdini introduced a specially designed wooden "control box" that confined Margery's body and limited her range of motion during séances, aiming to prevent her from using her limbs to produce effects. Although some committee members remained divided, Houdini's methods and persistence exposed likely avenues of trickery and were instrumental in undermining Margery's credibility, making the case one of the most famous investigations of spiritualist fraud. Houdini wrote about the Margery case in his book, "A Magician Among the Spirits." The letter offers

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8.5" x 11"
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